Strip Club Stress
by unagi23
Summary: When Zac goes to NYC, a last minute decision to go to a strip club leaves him in a tough spot. How will Vanessa react when her boyfriend asks for permission? Will it put tension on their relationship? Loosely based off of Zac's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I'm back again. :D**

**I can't help it, everytime a new rumor starts with these two, I'm usually itching to turn it into a story.**

**So when the one about Zac in a strip club surfaced, and then was confirmed by the man himself on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, I couldn't help but wonder how Vanessa might have felt about that.**

**With that I bring you another story, which is by no means true at all, other than the fact that the event actually happened. This is just my take on how things might have played out with the couple.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**P.S. this is just the first chapter, I'm not going to end it here ;)**

***I do not own HSM or its characters (and obviously not the actors in the series) :p***

* * *

It was one of Zac's last promo stops for his newest movie Charlie St. Cloud: New York City.

Unlike the previous weekends during his promotion, Zac would not be home with his girlfriend of nearly five years. It was his last chance to see his dear friend and former High School Musical co-star Corbin on Broadway, and he knew that there was no way he could miss it. Though Vanessa greatly wished she could join him, preparations for Rent were underway, and she knew she had no choice but to let her signficant other hit the big city on his own.

It was late at night when Corbin's show finally ended, and Zac was quick to meet him backstage and congratulate his friend on a spectacular performance in "In the Heights."

The two also took the chance to catch up, after not seeing one another for what Corbin described as months.

But when casual conversation finally ended, the two began talking about nightlife in the city. Zac said they should find a place celebrate Corbin's theatrical success, and with his unfamiliarity of New York's hot spots, looked to his friend for suggestions.

"We could hit Flashdancers. That screams celebration," Corbin said with a laugh.

"Flashdancers? Isn't that a strip joint?"

Corbin laughed again. "Why, is that a problem?"

Zac ran his fingers through is hair, but then chuckled. "Only if you don't want Vanessa to have my head when I go home."

"Well, just give her a call. I'm sure she won't mind."

Zac pulled his iPhone out of his pocket and stared at it for a moment. He was seriously dreading the conversation that was about to come, but he desperately wanted to go with Corbin. But he also knew that if he didn't get Vanessa's permission first, he would lose her trust for sure.

_What the hell am I supposed to say? _he thought. _And how do I start this conversation without sounding like a total ass? _

Quickly trying to put together a reasonable argument, he hit "1" on his phone, the number he had reserved for her on his speed dial.

"Hi babe," she answered with her usual cheerfulness. "I've missed you."

_Great. She's not making this any easier._

"Hey Van. I've missed you too."

"What's up?"

Zac swallowed for a moment and looked at Corbin for reassurance.

"Okay, so Corbin and I were looking to go out and have a few drinks to...you know, celebrate his performance."

She laughed. "Okay? And?"

"We were thinking about going to this one Flashdancers...place to do it."

Her voice suddenly seemed less cheerful. "Flashdancers? That sounds like a, uh..strip joint."

Zac could feel himself start to sweat. "Yeah, uh, it, uh...it is."

"Ah."

The California end of the line suddenly got quiet.

"Vanessa?"

She still didn't answer. Zac could feel his heart beating quicker.

"Van?"

"I take it you were calling for my approval," she said dryly.

Zac looked at Corbin again who looked restless. "Well, yeah, I guess." His voice suddenly got shaky. "I mean, if you don't want me to.." He stopped mid-sentence aware that his wording was not the best, but then continued. "Rather if you're not _okay _with it, I won't go. Corbin and I can just go to a regular bar or something."

Her delayed responses were making him very uncomfortable.

_Oh God, what did I do?_

"Zac, it's fine."

He was surprised to hear her voice perk up again.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Seriously, Vanessa. If this makes you uncomfortable in any way, I understand."

He was worried that she was lying, but her peppiness was pretty convincing.

"Zac, I really am fine with it. Go ahead. You're 22, right? Not a little boy anymore. It's fine. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Love you."

He thought he heard her sigh. "Love you too."

When Zac finally ended the call, Corbin could see the relief on his friend's face. "See? Hard part's over. But she's cool with it, right?"

Zac stuck the phone back in his pocket and smiled. "Yep, guess so. Glad that's over with."

And with the approval he had been hoping for, the two finally headed outside for their night on the town.

* * *

"Strip club?" Vanessa said aloud, looking at the phone in her hand and chucking it at the pillow on her bed. "I sure as hell am _not_ fine with it!"

She nearly growled out of disgust.

"Why would I be fine with my boyfriend watching a bunch of girls take their clothes off in front of him? I don't even like him kissing his co-stars!"

Vanessa felt tears starting to form in her eyes, out of both hurt and anger.

"What, am I not _pleasing_ him enough? What the hell is wrong with me that he has to go out and gawk at a bunch of naked women?"

She felt a knot starting to form in her stomach, and for a minute thought she was going to throw up. The nausea was almost too much to take. It felt like someone had punched her...hard.

Vanessa walked over to the full length mirror on her wall and stood in front of it.

She didn't get it. Zac was always telling her how beautiful she looked; he had said that to her the night before he left, in fact. Yet, here she was, looking at the reflection of herself completely puzzled. Did she not appeal to him _that_ way anymore?

It was then she started to notice things about her body she hadn't before, flaws that never seemed like a big deal.

She sighed deeply, trying to hold back tears. It was like she was seeing what she _really_ looked like for the first time.

_Meanwhile, _she thought, _my boyfriend is admiring the bodies of dozens of other women._

She wanted to call him back and demand he not go. She wanted to tell him that no reason he would give her would make it justified in her eyes. And she wanted to scream at him for even considering the possibility that she would be comfortable with it.

But she had missed her chance; she had given him the okay.

In the back of her mind, Vanessa had hoped that despite her phony performance, Zac would still say, "You know what, babe? Forget it. I don't want to put you in such an awkward position."

But he didn't...and that's what hurt so much. How was she going to say no? What kind of a girlfriend did that make her if she said he couldn't go?

All of that didn't matter though; it was too late. By now, Zac was probably already enjoying his show.

Vanessa felt herself starting to cry. "What have I done?"


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, thanks to everyone who reviewed my story so far! I love hearing what people think about it. :D**

**Well, to be honest I really don't have much to say about this chapter other than I hope you enjoy it!**

***I do not own HSM or its characters (and obviously not the actors in the series) :p***

* * *

"Vanessa, I'm home!" Zac yelled as he walked through the door.

Just the sound of his voice caused Vanessa to appear out of nowhere. She then threw her arms around her boyfriend and embraced Zac in a hug that showed just how much she missed him.

Vanessa then followed up with a long, drawn out kiss on his lips, while slowing reaching her hands up to run her fingers through his tousled hair.

But something about the kiss felt...weird. The passion that she normally felt when the two reunited was absent. Not on her part though, but the man in front of her.

When their lips finally parted, Zac noticed an anxious look in the brown eyes before him. "What's wrong?"

She looked at the ground and shook her head. "Nothing, Zac. It's nothing."

Vanessa couldn't remember much else that happened that night other than the feeling that there was some sort of distance between them, even though she and Zac were sitting together on the couch.

When the movie they had playing finally finished, Vanessa once again initiated a display of affection. Her kiss was just as lustful before, as she hoped Zac would pick up on her intentions. She assumed he did, for their liplock continued.

In very little time, Vanessa's hands naturally started to wander, but Zac's reaction to this usually normal progression caught her off guard.

"Vanessa, what are you doing?"

It took her a minute to break the kiss and respond. "What do you mean?"

She had never been so confused in her life. Zac had _never_ stopped her before, _ever_. It really didn't matter where they were; as soon as they got "involved" there was no turning back. Zac was always in the mood.

When he didn't answer her question, Vanessa took the opportunity to start her kiss again, as well as allow her hands to find their way under his shirt.

But Zac was quick to put a stop to it. "Vanessa, would you quit?"

"What?" she said with a heavy breath. "Why?"

"I just don't want to make love to you, okay?"

Zac's words caused Vanessa to jerk awake from her nightmare.

She had never heard those words escape his lips, not yet anyway. The thought of him turning her down in such a way created another knot in her stomach. When she rolled out of bed to get a glass of water and subdue her nausea, she happened to glance at the clock on the wall.

_3 a.m._

_I'm sure Zac's back in his hotel room by now._

Vanessa rolled her eyes, and fought to keep any mental picture's of Zac's night with Corbin out of her head.

It was too much to take.

And for that reason she was glad he would not be home for a couple of days.

* * *

Zac was exhausted from his flight back to LA, but his energy was revived when he knew he would be seeing his girl again. "Hey babe! You there?" he yelled as he walked in the house. "Van, I'm home!"

He tried to remember whether or not she was at Rent rehearsal again. Her busy schedule the past few days, combined with the time difference between their locations, kept them from being able to talk on the phone. They had exchanged many text messages during their time apart, but he hadn't heard the sound of her voice since his phone call after Corbin's show.

There was no response.

Figuring he was alone, he started to pick up his luggage and carry it into the bedroom.

However, Zac stopped in his tracks when he heard a soothing voice behind him, a voice that always immediately caught his attention.

"What, I don't get a hello?"

He let the suitcases fall out of his hands to turn around.

There, right in front of him, was his gorgeous girlfriend with her hands on her hips but a smile on her face.

Zac was ecstatic to see her again.

Before Vanessa knew it he was kissing her, nearly lifting her off of the ground as he did so.

"I missed you," he said with a grin when their smooch ended.

She couldn't help but melt when she saw his baby blues looking into her eyes again, almost like the first time they auditioned together. "I missed you too, Zac."

He took the moment to enjoy being in her presence again, unsure of what to say. He was just happy to be at home again with the woman he loved.

Zac had already forgotten about his visit to Flashdancers with Corbin; it was over and done with. It was like it never even happened.

Little did he know, that from the moment Zac set foot in the door, it was all Vanessa could think about.

* * *

Taking the time to enjoy Zac's return from NYC, the two opted for a movie that night, as well as cuddling on the couch.

Vanessa noticed how the events were playing out so similarly to the nightmare she had a few nights ago, but decided to not think much about it. She knew it would ruin the pleasant feeling she was experiencing from Zac's touch. His hand was currently interlocked with hers, and was resting on his lap. She had no intention of moving it elsewhere.

When the credits signaled the film's end, Zac did not hesitate to make a move. His lips quickly found their way to hers and did not want to to let go. Vanessa certainly wasn't fighting him off; she was enjoying it as much as he was. They continued the simple, yet powerful display of affection in a way that definitely wouldn't have been described as "Disney friendly."

As their kissing continued, Vanessa felt Zac's hands start to wander and she eagerly welcomed that as well.

But suddenly, a crystal clear image popped up in her mind. Zac was on a couch surrounded by three gorgeous women. Two were slowly starting to undress in front of him, the other was already completely naked. Zac had a smile on his face, as the nude woman moved closer to him...

Vanesa immediately broke the kiss.

Zac's eyes quickly met hers, and she saw a look of undeniable desire in them.

Zac did not notice the same look in hers.

"What's wrong?" he asked with obvious concern in his voice.

Vanessa did not know how to respond.

And Zac did not wait for her answer. Instead, she felt him working his way to getting her shirt off.

When he finally accomplished his task, Vanessa's head conjured up another image. All three women surrounding her boyfriend were now topless, and Zac's smile got even wider.

She stopped his hands from making any other movement.

For the first time ever, Vanessa felt...self-conscious. There was no way she could let him see her naked now, and compare her body to those other women. She just...couldn't.

"Van, are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

She wouldn't look him in the eyes.

Zac knew this was not like her at all.

Vanessa quickly searched for some sort of explanation for her behavior...or a cover-up.

"I'm sorry, Zac. I'm just not feeling that well, that's all. My stomach's been acting up today. Can we just go to bed instead?"

He thought she did look quite ill and pale.

"Sure, babe," he said with sympathy. "I had no idea you were sick. Why didn't you tell me?"

Vanessa still wouldn't look at him directly. "Didn't want you to worry."

Zac took her petite hand in his and squeezed it. "Vanessa, you know you have to be honest with me. Are you sure it's nothing serious?"

"Yeah. Just a bit of an upset stomach. I'm sure after some rest I'll feel better."

He kissed her forehead. "Want me to carry you to bed?"

"That's okay," she said shyly. "I'll be fine."

But Vanessa was not thinking about her fake sickness when she said those last three words. She was thinking about the images of Zac with the strippers.

And she hoped that by saying those three words enough, she'd be able to convince herself that it was the truth.

* * *

The sun was just starting to creep in through the window when Zac took an admiring look at the woman lying next to him in bed.

_God, she's beautiful._

He absolutely loved watching her sleep; there was something so peaceful and innocent about her when she was dreaming.

Zac gently caressed her arm, trying his best not to wake her up.

"I love you, Vanessa," he whispered into her hair, taking the time to smell the scent of her shampoo, as well.

"And I missed you," he added quietly.

_Later that day..._

"Vanessa, Zac went to a strip club?" Ashley shouted through the phone. "Or is that just another stupid rumor someone made up to start drama?"

"Wait, how do you know about that?"

Ashley gasped. "It's true?"

"Yeah," Vanessa answered with a sigh.

"I can't believe he would do that to you!"

Vanessa was once again glad that Zac was out of the house. She hated thinking about the topic when he was anywhere around.

"Well, I said it was okay."

Ashley's voice got louder than before. "You did? Why?"

Vanessa almost rolled her eyes at her friend's comment. "What was I supposed to say, Ash? That he wasn't allowed?"

"Yes! If you're not okay with it, that is." Ashley paused for a moment. "You were really okay with him doing that?"

Vanessa struggled for the right way to answer, but her true feelings ended up coming out.

"No. No, I was not okay with it...I'm _still_ not okay with it." She swallowed hard. "Ashley, I'm really pissed about this. Even now."

"Well, did you talk to him about it?"

There was a moment of silence.

"No. Because I have absolutely no idea how to start that conversation."

But Vanessa knew that if she didn't say something about it to Zac soon, and kept her feelings all bottled up inside, that their relationship just wouldn't be the same anymore.

She had to tell him how she felt.

But how?


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! :D Thanks once again for the reviews! I really enjoy hearing what people have to say.**

**A couple of things:**

**1) Zac did indeed go to the strip club. It was just a rumor, but he confirmed that it was true during his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel. Check out the interview if you haven't seen it already. :)**

**2) Part of this chapter is very, very loosely based on candids of Zac and Vanessa from last Thursday. You won't be lost if you haven't seen the pictures, but you'll probably be able to appreaciate it a little better if you have. ;)**

**3) Just a reminder that this story is fiction. Although some of the events really did happen, I promise you all of their conversations are completely made up. :p**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy reading this chapter!**

***I do not own HSM or its characters (and obviously not the actors in the series) :p***

* * *

After talking on the phone with Ashley, Vanessa was off to rehearsal again, giving her minimal time to plan out exactly how she was going to talk to Zac. But luckily for her, Zac was also busy that day with both the taping of Lopez Tonight and Jimmy Kimmel Live! She decided that for that reason, bringing up the topic that was constantly on her mind would have to wait until they had some free time.

And when Zac came home from his final show that night and joined his sleeping (or so he thought) girlfriend in bed, Vanessa knew that tomorrow had to be the day. There would be no turning back.

* * *

"Where is he?" she mumbled to herself. "I figured he'd be here by now."

Waiting by the side of the building and trying her best to stay hidden from the paparazzi, Vanessa flipped through the inbox on her phone making sure that she hadn't missed any texts from Zac saying he would be late.

That morning he had eagerly offered to pick her up from rehearsal and take her out to lunch. He was thrilled that his promotion had finally finished, giving him more time to, in his words, "spend with my girl."

And Vanessa figured that although they may not be totally alone, casually bringing up the strip club stress she was feeling over lunch might be the way to go.

Just as she was starting to get impatient, out of the corner of her eye she caught her boyfriend's Audi and couldn't help but smile when she saw him get out of the car.

Zac too lit up at just the sight of her, and began grinning from ear to ear.

_Damn it. _she thought. _How am I supposed to be mad at him when he looks so happy to see me?_

In no time at all they had met up with each other in the parking lot and stole a quick kiss before anyone was around.

"Missed you," Zac said with a smile.

Just as Vanessa was about to say the same thing, Zac slid the Aviator sunglasses she was wearing off of her face and placed them on his own.

"Hey!" she yelled with a giggle, then playfully smacked his chest. "I was using those!"

"Except they're _my_ sunglasses," he said, laughing.

"And you gave them to me," she added with a whine.

Zac smiled when he saw the pouty look Vanessa had on her face. "Well, I'm pretty sure you _stole _them from me. But I'll forgive you." He kissed the top of her head. "Come on, let's go grab something to eat."

Zac took hold of her left hand as they began walking back to the car and held it next to his chest. "I can't believe how much I missed you today." He squeezed her hand tighter and chuckled. "And it's only been, what? A couple of hours since you left? When did I become so needy?"

Vanessa's mind was elsewhere. She wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. Not because she was bored with the conversation, but because she was focusing on the conversation that was soon to come.

_I can't do this. I really can't. _

She heard him happily humming.

_Not when he's this giddy. And I really don't want to argue, especially not in public._

Zac was starting to notice how quiet she was. "Babe, if you really want the sunglasses back that bad, you can have them. Especially if that means you'll start talking again..."

It took a moment for Vanessa to realize that he had addressed her directly.

"What? Oh, no you can have them. It's fine."

_There's that word again: __fine.__ I really need to expand my vocabulary. _

She almost laughed at her own thought.

Once again, Zac was aware of the fact that something was indeed bothering his girlfriend, but he was totally clueless as to what was on her mind.

He knew that once they got to the restaurant, he was going to find out what was going on once and for all.

* * *

"Okay, we're sitting down, we've gotten our sushi and our drinks," Zac began, "Now are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Vanessa took a bite of her salmon skin roll, but didn't say anything.

"Vanessa?" he asked as he rested his hand on her left, which was laying on the table. "What's going on?"

She swallowed. "It's...it's nothing, really."

Zac raised his voice, but was careful not to distrub the nearby customers. "Vanessa Anne Hudgens, tell me what's going on. I'm not a mind reader, you know. So unless you let me know what's bothering you, I'm never going to figure it out."

Vanessa lifted her head to finally look into Zac's eyes, and she saw that he was very serious and concerned. It was almost intimidating, so much so that she had to look back down at her plate.

Zac was getting incredibly frustrated at her lack of cooperation. "You haven't acted the same since I got home. Was it something I said?"

_Yes, _she thought.

"Whatever it is, Vanessa, you can tell me. Okay? I'm not going to get mad."

He saw her take a deep breath. _Oh God, she's pregnant isn't she? _

"Vanessa.."

She dropped her fork on her plate. _I can't take it anymore._

"Why did you do it, Zac?"

He was stunned by the tone of her voice. She sounded...furious.

"Do what?"

"Go to the strip club!"

"Wait, what?"

Vanessa forgot that the two were not at home, and started to get up out of her chair. "Why the hell did you go?"

Zac couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You _said_ I could go!"

Their arguing stopped for a minute when the two realized they were not exactly in the best place to do it.

"Would you just take me back to rehearsal?" she said bitterly.

Zac was also out of his chair at this point. "_Now?_ Don't you think we should finish this conversation?"

"Just pay the check and let's get out of here," she paused, "And we _will_ finish this conversation...later. The last thing I want to do is go back to rehearsal pissed off and take out my frustrations on the cast."

And with that Vanessa grabbed her purse and started to walk to the door, but first stopped to grab Zac's sunglasses on the table and put them back on her face.

Their fight was far from over, and yet, with that move, she already felt a little bit better.

* * *

That night Vanessa had hitched a ride home from one of her fellow castmates after texting Zac that she wouldn't be needing his transportation services this time around. She seriously doubted that he would be wanting to provide them anyway, so she was sure it wouldn't be a problem.

For the first time since Zac's return, Vanessa was very eager to give him a piece of her mind. Their little dispute at the restaurant finally gave her the confidence she needed to tell him how she really felt, and this time she could yell as loud as she wanted without having people stare at her.

_Perfect._

When she walked through the door, Vanessa saw Zac patiently waiting for her on the couch.

"Hello," he said calmly.

She didn't reply yet, but instead chose to sit on the other end of the couch and face him.

"So, are you going to explain to me why you went to Flashdancers?"

"Once again because you _said_ I could go."

Vanessa rolled her eyes, annoying him.

"Okay, what the hell, Vanessa? What is your problem? Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to call and ask for your permission?"

It didn't take long for her volume to increase. "What do you think is my problem, Zac? How do you think _I_ felt getting a phone call from my boyfriend of nearly five years asking if it's okay if he goes to see a bunch of naked women?"

The distance between them on the couch seemed to have increased.

"I wasn't the one who wanted to go to the damn strip club! The idea never even crossed my mind!"

Vanessa let out a big groan. "It doesn't matter! You still went, didn't you? I'm pretty sure Corbin would have forgiven you if you had said NO."

"It was _one_ night! And it's not like I cheated on you or something! And once again to remind you, you said IT WAS FINE!"

Vanessa felt her eyes starting to water. "God, Zac do you know me at all? Did you really think I was FINE with it? Why would I be FINE with it? I have to watch girls throw themselves at you on a daily basis, but I've learned to live with it because I trust you. But when you go looking for attention, especially _that_ kind of attention!"

Tears were now streaming down her face. "I'm obviously not filling your _needs._ Sorry that I've been disappointing you all these years."

She started to hurry into the bathroom. "And glad to see you really cherish our relationship."

"Vanessa, wait!"

But she had already slammed the door shut.


	4. Chapter 4

**As this story comes to a close, I want to once again thank everyone who reviewed it! It's great to get some feedback. :D**

**Well, I think I've pretty much said everything I wanted to with this scenario, so this is definitely the final chapter.**

**One quick little note:**

**The second part of the chapter was inspired by an article from this week's Ok! Magazine about Zac's romantic side. Who knows whether it's true or not, but I felt it deserved a mention. ;)**

**With that said, hope you enjoy the end of "Strip Club Stress."**

***I do not own HSM or its characters (and obviously not the actors in the series) :p***

* * *

As Vanessa continued to sob in the bathroom, Zac rested his head against the door in misery.

_I'm the one who's supposed to __comfort __her when she's upset, not be the guy who __makes__ her cry._

He had no idea what to say to her at this point; he so was worried about making her feel even worse that he remained silent for the time being.

But the fact that he had caused her emotional pain was eating him up inside. He just had to make things right.

"Vanessa, would you please come out of there so we can talk?"

She noticed a change in his voice, like Zac was almost crying himself.

"Babe, _please._ We really need to discuss this."

The sound inside of the bathroom got quiet for a minute.

Worrying something was wrong, Zac started to open the door...but Vanessa beat him to it.

He almost couldn't look at her. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her mascara was running down her cheeks. He hated seeing her so upset, espcially when he was the reason behind it.

Vanessa was surprised to see that Zac didn't look that great either. His bright blue eyes looked watery and puffy, and his usually noticeable smile had been replaced by a scowl. He looked...hurt.

Zac took her hand in his and led her over to the sofa. For such a serious discussion, he wanted them both to be comfortable.

_What do I say? _he thought.

And he really had no idea where to begin. But then it hit him..._the truth._

"I wish I had never gone to that damn strip club," he said in an almost whisper. "That was probably one of the biggest mistakes I think I've ever made in our relationship. I mean, if I had any idea that one night on the town would have caused so many problems..."

Zac brushed a piece of Vanessa's silky, dark hair behind her ear. "Van, I want to start out by saying that..I'm sorry."

She said nothing in response to his statement, but instead listened intently to what was about to follow.

"I'm sorry that I put you in such a tough spot. You're right. I could have said no, and I _should_ have said no. I had absolutely no reason to be going there when I'm happily taken. I don't know what it was. When Corbin brought up the idea, I just.." he struggled for the right words, "got excited I guess. It's just that you and I have been together since we were teenagers..and there were certain things that I never got to experience because we've been together all this time..."

Zac quickly added on to his statement in a panic. "Not that I regret it or anything! Don't think that at all. I guess that I know you and I are pretty committed to one another, and...well, maybe I was just worried that I wouldn't get any other chance to do it."

He rested his hand on her thigh and continued. "And here I was, trying my best not to be a total ass, and look what happens..I make my girlfriend cry anyway."

Vanessa leaned forward to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Zac, you are not an ass. I don't think you could be even if you tried. Because even when you go and do something incredibly stupid, you _always_ manage to make up for it."

She layed her hand on the one of his that was still resting on her leg. "And I'm sorry that _I_ acted the way I did."

"Vanessa.."

She layed a finger on his lips to silence him, but did so with a smile. "I should've just come right out and told you how I felt instead of keeping it all bottled up. Zac, one of the reasons our relationship works is because we're honest with each other. Why didn't you tell me that you were frustrated?"

"Frustrated? What do you mean?"

"That you were missing out on parts of the single life."

He started to worry that she had misinterpretated what he said. "Babe, I don't want to be single! At all! I'm very happy with you." Zac stopped to give her a quick peck. "Very happy."

"I didn't mean it that way," Vanessa said with a giggle. "But good to hear."

Zac didn't give her any chance to continue her thought. "And about filling my 'needs,' as you called it...Did you really think I was unsatisfied with that part of our relationship? Van, you're the first woman I was ever intimate with...I can't even _imagine_ my first time being with anyone else. You turned me on back then and you absolutely still do now. Nothing's changed. You're beautiful to me no matter what age you are or how long we've been together."

He licked his lips and smiled. "And you're the _only_ one who can fill my needs. Rather the only one I _want_ to be filling my needs. End of story."

Vanessa responded with a heartfelt kiss that told Zac just how much his words meant to her.

"And you, Zachary David Alexander Efron...a_lways _fill my needs. Because I love you, everything about you. End of story."

* * *

_The next day..._

Vanessa walked into the house completely exhausted; all day rehearsals were really starting to suck all of the energy out of her.

So all she really wanted to do was take a shower and relax for the rest of the night.

But when she found Zac waiting for her inside and reaching out to take her hand, she knew her plans might turn out to be quite different.

"What's going on, Zaccy?"

"It's a surprise," he said with a smile. "Just follow me."

Vanessa didn't hesitate to grab the hand of the man that was so eagerly waiting for her.

_What could he possibly have planned?_ she thought.

Zac led Vanessa to just outside the dining room and asked her to close her eyes before she could enter.

"Hold on just one minute," she heard him say.

She couldn't help but giggle at his mysterious actions.

"Okay, don't open them just yet. Let me help you in there first."

Vanessa felt Zac carefully guiding her into the room, as well as giving her butt a playful smack.

"Zachary!"

She could sense the smile he had on his face. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."

"Okay, you can look now."

Vanessa opened her eyes to find a beautiful candle-lit dinner for two. He had also placed a single rose on the table, and she was pretty sure she heard some romantic music playing in the background.

"Zac," she said, starting to turn as red as the rose, "What is all of this?"

"Just something to show you that I _do_ cherish our relationship." He kissed the top of her head and took hold of her hand, leading her over to the table.

After Zac pulled her chair out for her like the true gentleman he was, Vanessa took a seat and eyed the plate in front of her.

"Lasagna? Did you make that from scratch?"

Zac went around to the other side of the table to seat himself. "Yup. Well, everything except the noodles," he said with a laugh.

"Well, it looks delicious."

Vanessa placed a napkin on her lap as Zac started to pour the two some wine.

"You're really sweet, you know that?" she added. "I'm a very lucky lady."

Zac's face was now pink. "Thanks, Van."

_Later that night..._

"Did I tell you how sweet you are?" Vanessa said as she rested her head on his shoulder. "And not to mention a very good cook."

"I love you," was the reply she got. But it suited her just fine.

As the two cuddled once again on the couch, they happily enjoyed being alone together.

Yes, everything was right again for the young couple. They had come across another obstacle in their relationship, but like the others in the past had managed to overcome it and move on. And their love was just as strong as ever.

"Zac," Vanessa said out of nowhere.

"Yeah, babe?"

"You know, if you wanted a private strip show that bad...all you had to do was ask."

Zac saw his girlfriend's usual seductive smile slowly form on her face.

"Oh really?" His eyes got wider as Vanessa got up from the couch.

"You up for a little entertainment this evening?"

Zac's reaction was delayed, but he too eventually smiled. "Only if the woman I love is okay with it."

Vanessa leaned down to meet his lips before giving the final word.

"Yes. This time she is without a doubt, 100%, no questions asked..._fine_ with it."

"Wonderful," Zac said, getting comfortable in his seat. "Because this is one show I _cannot _afford to miss."


End file.
